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Richard Newell, a former Obama administration EIA administrator and now an associate professor at Duke University, said prices appear to be acting as they did last year when they rose because of the disruption of oil supplies from Libya.

“I don’t see any signal yet that we’re heading to anything like we had in 2008,” Newell said.

Gas prices hit a record national average of $4.11 a gallon the summer of 2008, leading to the famous “drill, baby, drill” chants at the Republican National Convention and at the end of presidential and congressional offshore drilling moratoriums. But the prices plummeted later that year when the economy tanked.

Thursday, the House passed its latest energy plan. It would authorize oil drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, approve the Keystone XL pipeline and promote development of U.S. oil sands in the Rocky Mountains.

The various controversial additions mean the bill already has drawn a presidential veto threat and is likely to go nowhere in the Senate.

“We should move forward with those things that help us control our own destiny on prices. But it does not look like we’re doing that right now because of folks in the do-nothing Senate,” said freshman Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

Other GOP members are in lockstep, talking about additional supply.

“We’ve got to produce American energy, and this piece of legislation opens up lots of opportunities to do that,” said Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo, speaking about the House bill. “I think that anytime you create more supply, price comes down, and so we have to take every opportunity to do that.”

“Certainly we know every time you increase the supply, it puts a downward pressure on the price of the buyer, and if you put downward pressure on the price of the buyer, you get lower prices at the pump,” added Rep. Jeff Landry (R-La.).

House Democrats say this week’s gas price talk from Republicans is same old, same old.

“They don’t really have anything that’s going to do good for us in time to deal with gas prices,” said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). “So I think they’re just talking propaganda, as we see them do so often.”

Another former Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, Michigan Democrat John Dingell, said Boehner has bigger problems trying to unify the GOP caucus on the energy and transportation bills.

“I think he better get his party together before he starts saying what’s going to help anybody,” Dingell said. “Right now, there’s no unity on that side of the aisle, and until they get together, they can’t tell who’s going to be helped by what, when and how.”

Readers' Comments (270)

Republicans JUST CAN'T STAND IT that the economy is improving, jobless claims are going down, and that jobs are being created - despite all of their efforts to make the U.S. crash and burn just to defeat President Obama - they are desperate now, and SO transparently pathetic!!!

In my humble opinion, all previous posters on this topic are obviously drunk... dems with their chardonay, wingnuts with their whiskey...

NONETHELESS...Obama has absolutely no control over gas prices. Hell, George Bush and Dick Cheney were OIL MEN, and they couldn't control gas prices at the pump-- so just forget about it. This is another in a long line of non-issues.

So,,, If you are so stupid as to vote against a candidate for president because gas prices may or may not be going up during his tenure, then you just need to get a life.

All the drilling in the US won't change the price of gas. The more oil that can be extracted gets shipped overseas to meet rising demand. The GOP is full of noise and disinformation. Year after year, the US is driving vehicles with better fuel economy so Big Oil now exports a million barrels a day. Go to the EIA.org and see where all the oil goes. Supply and demand? There's more demand in Brazil, Mexico and Chile for US refined gasoline. Why would Exxon and Shell create extra supply for the US and reduce cost at the pump? They're not charities.

Obama needs high gas prices to make his costly, uneconomic, green energy programs look to even marginally, pencil out. Obama needs fossil fuels to pay for the subsidizes of the his crony capitalists, to construct their absurd solar and wind projects. High gas prices will of course hit the poor and working people hardest, two groups Obama will cry crocodile tears for. Of course high fuel prices, will shut down the American economy. And of course, Obama's Keynesian economics do produce unforeseen consequences, mainly a loss in his bid for reelection in 2012.

Republicans JUST CAN'T STAND IT that the economy is improving, jobless claims are going down, and that jobs are being created - despite all of their efforts to make the U.S. crash and burn just to defeat President Obama - they are desperate now, and SO transparently pathetic!!!

EXACTLY!

Republicans are soooo DESPERATE!!! Sooo weak.

The mre they scream their extremist rants. The more Americans REJECT THEM !!!!

NONETHELESS...Obama has absolutely no control over gas prices. Hell, George Bush and Dick Cheney were OIL MEN, and they couldn't control gas prices at the pump-- so just forget about it. This is another in a long line of non-issues.

Your desire to obsolve Obama from any responsibility lacks an understanding of the risk premium that factors into global oil prices. Obamas inability to contain Iran and the general mahem in the middle east is part of the reason for the current highl oil prices. Like the economy, the middle east situation is another problem that this President has failed to understand and failed to properly address.

The Democrats are 100% anti-Petroleum and they are for higher and higher fuel prices. The Democraps are on record as saying they want fuel prices to be as high as possible, as high as Europe or higher.

This administration is the most business-hostile administration in American history.

That extra thousand will be spent just trying to aquire fuel under the destructive Democrat policies and moronic worldview.

The howl of the Democrat hypocrites is music to the ears! They just can't stand having things dished back out to them!

The 527 and other ads that will now be run against Democrats in conjunction with their anti-Oil energy policies are made for TV. Just in time for the elections! Dems will be on the defensive from here on out.

You Dems are told time after time again yet you remain delusional as always - careful what you wish for sparky.

I dont Think weve seen anything yet! Were at Almost 4 a gal in N.Y. and i am sure well see 5+ by summer! Groceries,heating fuel all going crazy,all the while our president and his followers say how much better our economy is? Where?Whats going to be the reason for the rise this time?Possible conflict in Iran? Then why is it raising already? Maybe Japan again?Hurricane? Tooth fairy?

the talk about gas prices,how can they do anything about it because they are in big oils back pocket.this thing should have been fixed years ago.we should have converted over to cng and lp gas years ago .all they want to do is score points and talk junk.its all a bunch of bs that keeps the average joe shelling out when nobody does nothing to fix our problems.same old bs but a different day.